The present invention relates to locking devices and, more particularly, to portable auxiliary locking devices to lockably secure safety latches of the stud/loop retainer type.
When travelling or vacationing, the traveller or vacationer generally encounters the dilemma of leaving his hotel room with the room door locked with just the issued hotel key. Several hotel personnel may have access to the keys that enable entrance, authorized or unauthorized, to the hotel room along with the traveler. Also, it is possible for others, such as thieves or the like, to obtain master keys to procure unauthorized entrance into the travelers hotel room.
Generally in hotel rooms, there is a secondary door lock of the safety chain variety mounted on the door and the jamb. However, these locks are ordinarily only securable when the traveller is present in his room. Locks do exist that lockably secure safety chain latch devices, however, these locks are permanent or nonuniversal in adapting to safety chain devices. Relevant art devices for locking safety chain latches are illustrated in the following patents. The relevant art patents are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,995,919; 3,125,875; 3,134,252; 4,192,537 and British Pat. Nos. 22,135 and 21,844.
While the above patents illustrate safety chain latch locking devices, they have several disadvantages. One disadvantage is that the locking mechanism is permanently secured to the door or jamb and the traveler would be issued a key from the hotel establishment and thus, the traveler would have the same problem as explained above. Another disadvantage is that some of the above patents require special attachments to secure the lock to conventional safety chain latch mechanisms.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the above art. The lock of the present invention provides the art with a portable auxiliary lock for safety latches of the stud/loop retainer type. The present invention is easily coupled with the stud and loop of these types of safety locking devices. The present invention is compact and easily carried by the traveller. Further, the present invention enables the traveler to have his own personal lock and key to secure his hotel room, eliminating unauthorized entrances into his room by others that may have keys to the hotel room door.
From the subsequent description and the appended claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.